Cover by vivinu on deviantart. This was a fanfic made as a gift for a friend for a Secret Santa thing back in, well, December, of course. Decided to put this on here for those who don't use Ao3. Enjoy!
Flannel
"You look cute in it. You can keep it, if you want. I have, like, way too many of those shirts in my closet."
So she did. Pearl wore the large green flannel because it only felt proper. It was a gift, though a bit odd considering she didn't realize humans exchanged clothes as romantic offerings, but the gesture alone was heartwarming. As she slipped it on, the sleeves had to be rolled up, and the shirt itself hung on Pearl's thin body. When Pearl commented on this, Sheena merely giggled, and Pearl smiled at that because her laughter was a delight to hear.
The flannel smelled of coconut perfume and human. If Pearl could describe just how humans smelled, she would—in great detail and with eloquent diction. And she knew Sheena would listen, and knew this with confidence because whenever Pearl went into detail about Gems and their alien culture, Sheen's eyes never wandered away, her focus never lost. Pearl never thought she was talking to the air.
She wore it throughout the rest of their date. They mostly walked around Sheena's hometown, although she had taken Pearl to a bar crowded with people and smells that burned Pearl's nose. The environment was not a hundred percent pleasant, but the company she kept made all of that fade away. One man made a sneering comment at them, but Sheena retaliated by telling him to stick something somewhere. Pearl just shouted "Yeah!" in support, making Sheena chuckle. Again, what a magnificent sound.
She wore it on the motorcycle ride to Sheena's house. Her arms wrapped around Sheena's waist as the woman drove down the street. The ride gave Pearl a burst of adrenaline, and she watched over Sheena's shoulder as they sped through the streets. They exchanged wide grins at stop signs and lights, and Pearl found comfort by placing her chin onto Sheena's shoulder.
She wore it as they entered Sheena's house, a small building that looked barren, too quiet and too lonely. Sheena, with only a slight slur to her words, intertwined their fingers. "Wanna stay for the night?"
She stroked the back of Pearl's hand with her thumb, and Pearl had no idea humans could create electricity from their bodies like Sheena did. Pearl accepted with no hesitation, but grabbed her phone to text Steven that she'd be away for the night so "if anything happens, be sure to let me know."
The response was "Okay!" followed by "GET IT GIRL!" so she figured a certain purple gem intercepted. Sheena sneaked a look at the text and burst out laughing while wrapping an arm around Pearl's shoulders.
She wore it as they talked on Sheena's bed about things. Just things. Sheena propped herself on an elbow while Pearl occupied the space right beside her, their legs bumping each other constantly. Sheena talked about her job at a music shop, which was apparently an improvement from working at the coffee shop. "If you've ever worked at one, you'd understand. But for the love of god, don't," she explained to Pearl, both with a snicker and a hint of seriousness that Pearl took with heed (not that she needed to, but she wanted to take it with equal sincerity).
Pearl mentioned going on a mission that week, and Sheena inched closer to her. "That stuff's way more interesting than dealing with a shoddy co-worker. I'm done whining, so… where did you go this time?" An eyebrow quirked. "Was it serious? Is there where the bruises came from?" Perhaps it was the slight drunkenness, but she pouted like a child at the last question, rubbing at a visible bruise on Pearl's cheek.
Smiling at her concern, Pearl answered every question, adding assurance that a few bruises don't do much to her. Their bodies pressed together as Pearl told her about their trip to the desert in another continent, and Sheena's eyes lit up as she listened.
Pearl even wore it as she slept.
Sleep was such a waste of time. Unless her gem required time to re-energize from being so active, there was so much to do, and the most irritating thing about sleep was losing time. Pearl also hated it because of discomforting thoughts that resurfaced during them, but never brought this up to Sheena whenever she asked if Pearl was tired. There were a lot of things Pearl kept to herself.
As Sheena fell asleep, the moon cast pale illumination over the sleeping woman. Pearl's eyes had scrolled down Sheena's face which practically glowed due to the moonlight. So serene, so soft. All stress and worry faded, replaced with this tranquil look. Her breathing was steady, with gentle rises and falls.
Her fingers had curled around long pink hair that waterfalled around Sheena's shoulders and neck. As she tucked a strand of hair behind Sheena's ear, she spotted a dash of blond hair at the roots. Pearl dipped her head down with a sigh. Enveloped in Sheena's arms, warmth spread throughout her body. She felt so secure, that she found herself drifting to sleep despite herself.
Her dreams were crystal clear, always were. Too clear, too crisp. There was pink. So much pink hair. Ringlets of hair that spun as she danced, a white dress that twirled as they danced in a field of clashing weapons and dust until they kissed and were shrouded in a brilliant light, then cascading rain but as she thought about it, perhaps it wasn't rain. The battlefield was empty, save for abandoned weaponry. She stood alone, tears falling but no one was there to wipe them away.
When she awoke, Sheena's green eyes were wide. Mixed with grief and concern. She had glanced up, but quickly brought her eyes back down to Pearl's. "Hey, babe," she muttered, but her smile did not match her eyes. Her arms had pulled away from the gem sometime during Pearl's resting.
Face falling, Pearl lifted a hand to Sheena's shoulder. "Is something wrong?"
Sheena opened her mouth but hesitated. "No, I just… I shouldn't ask. It's nothing, promise."
Pearl blinked, tilted her head. "You can tell me if something's bothering you, Sheena. Or if I might have done something wrong—"
"No, no, I mean—!" Sheena sighed into her palm. When she pulled her hand away, Sheena's stare bore into hers. "Do you miss her?"
Pearls' whole body stiffened.
The name didn't need to be said. They both knew.
Rose's name had come up once and only once, on their third date which ended up at the Temple when Sheena asked if she could see where Pearl lived. Sheena had gotten to meet Steven when she glanced above the door and asked about the woman in the portrait. Pearl simply told her Rose Quartz gave birth to Steven and had passed away years ago. Sheena gave her condolences, but to lighten the mood, teased about the similarity in hair color. Pearl could not bring herself to respond with anything beyond a forced smile.
She knew they would have to bring this up eventually, but not like this. Pearl knew how Sheena saw into her dreams but hated it. She wasn't ready, not ready at all to tell her about falling deeply in love and even worse, still feeling deeply in love despite years of feeling so alone without her.
Pearl turned away and buried her mouth and cheek into the flannel color. The scent of human stiff wafted through the fabric. As she breathed it in, she felt her body relax, muscles slackening. Looking at Sheena's face, so worried and patiently waiting for a response, she gave her a gentle smile.
Pearl had lost count of the nights they spent talking on the phone. She was amazed at how long humans could converse about the simplest things—preferable vacation spots, their favorite bands, and their favorite kind of kisses ("Empire City, if you're looking for a day to waste all your money, Broken Bass, and neck kisses" were all of Sheena's answers, and for the last one, was quickly followed by her burying her face into Pearl's neck and Pearl understood that last one very quickly). They wasted nights on pointless conversations but Pearl loved it. And she loved so much more.
They talked about everything. Everything… except this.
"Yes, I do. Very much," Pearl admitted.
Sheena nodded, running a hand through her hair. "At least you're honest. She must've been important." She avoided Pearl's gaze.
"I had known her for five thousand years, and she inspired me in so many ways," she began, but just the thought of telling her about the hopeless love and the utter heartbreak made her shut up. Her throat felt thick and sore, and she wrapped her arms around her chest. "I'm sorry. I want to talk about it with you, but…"
"You don't have to," Sheena whispered, and she brought the gem back into her arms. Pearl uncoiled her arms and pressed her hands onto Sheena's back. Pearl felt breath brushing her gem and shuddered. Sheena kissed Pearl's hair and said, "You can talk about that stuff when you're ready, but… five thousand years? Geez, what was it… fourteen years since she died? That's probably nothing, then. I'm sorry, Pearl."
Pearl nodded her head, which she slowly brought onto Sheena's chest. Her heart was beating, a dull thud that slowly pattered against Pearl's ear. Eyes shut, she muttered, "It's alright. It's all very… complicated."
"I don't want you to think that… that it's a problem or anything. Seriously."
"But even though I miss her," Pearl said, bringing her head back up to once again meet Sheena's eyes, "that doesn't mean, well, that doesn't mean I can't meet other people. I'm glad that I'm with you, and that doesn't change this."
Blush painted Sheena's face, though hardly recognizable; if they weren't so close, it'd be hard to catch. Inches away, and Pearl could steal a kiss. "Good," Sheena replied with a sheepish grin. It melted into a somber look, though, and she cupped a hand onto Pearl's face. " I just want to know something."
"Yes?"
"Are you happy, Pearl? Like, now? Are you okay with things now?"
Pearl didn't respond instantly. She let out a laugh through her nose and turned away for a moment. Sheena's fingers brushed against her cheek. So warm. Her thoughts wandered, but she regained her focus to answer.
"I am now. With my family… with you."
Sheena smiled with a quick snicker. "Oh, god, that was perfectly cheesy. But…" Her face softened as she leaned down. "I'm glad."
"Me, too," Pearl said, and she pulled in for the kiss.